Preliminary toe-former.



A. BATES. PRELIMINARY T05 FORMER. APPLICATION FILED APR.19,1913.

Patentea'Nov. 17, 1914.

{Mm/55555 @Ca/42 .ARTHUR BATES, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEI/V JERSE ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY Y, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PRELIMINARY TOE-FORMER.

To @ZZ whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BATES, a subject of the King of England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain Improvements in Preliminarv Toe-Formers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying' drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of shoes and particularly7 to machines for preparing shoe stock for lasting by a preliminary shaping or molding operation during which the vamp is treated under conditions which permit it to be stretched and shaped to better advantage 'than can be done after other portions of the shoe stock have been assembled with it upon the last. Some features of this invention appear also to be applicable to lasting machinery. I have, however, embodied the invention for illustrative purposes in a toe shaping machine.

An important feature of this invention consists in the combination with a toe former and means for operating it to shape the interior portion of the toe of the vamp of improved means for holding the marginal portion of the vamp, and it may be giving up stock to the tee former, while the former is operating. It has been proposed, as for example in British Patent No. 10,429 of 1912, to clamp the marginal portion. of the vamp between a work support and a plurality of clamping feet working under separat-ely adjustable spring pressure which, it was contemplated, should allow the clamping means to give up stock to the toe former after a predetermined stress had been applied by the toe former to the interior portion of the vamp. In practice it is difficult to control the slipping of stock between clamping members when it -has once commenced to slip and variations in the thickness of the stock at different clamping points affects the relative times at which slipping begins.

I have discovered that results can be obtained which are better in certain respects by the use of the improved form and arrangement of holding means herein disclosed. These means comprise grippers which may or may not be automatically Closed and opened in time relation to the Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Applcation filed April 19, 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914. serial No. 762,346.

movement of the toe former and which are mounted so that they will yield to give up material to the toe former without allowing the stock to slip within their jaws.

It is desirable, at least in some work, to hold the vamp in the region of the toe tip seam location to prevent bowing the tip seam and this can best be accomplished by a clamp coperating with the work support, and another feature of the invention is found in the combination with a clamp for engaging and holding` the upper at or adjacent to the tip seam, of grippers arranged to seize the upper at certain points around the margin of the toe and to yield to give stock to the toe former, the direction in which the grippers yield and in which the stock is given up to the toe former being preferably predetermined by the mountings for the grippers. Also advantageously the grippers may be restrained from retracting, after they have given up stock to the former, until after they have been opened to release their hold upon the stock, whereby they are prevented from pulling the vamp out of the shape which the toe former has given to it.

Another feature of this invention which I regard as of great importance s found in provision for varying the angle between the plane in which the work is held and the direction in which. the toe former is moved against and into the work. As herein shown provision is made for adjustment of the work holding means about an axis extending transversely of the toe and located in the plane of the work in front of the tip of the toe. By varying this angle the direction in which the stretching of the vamp is made to take place is changed, the stretch being more or less directed forwardly whereby stock is drawn from the rear to make the prominence of the high toe. Also the relative times at which the front and rear ends of the lower face of the toe former '4 engage the vamp may be varied, it being understood that any portion of the stock stretches most freely before the former comes into frictional egagement with it.

These and other features of this invenion will be better understood from the following deseription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will then be pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a toe forming machine of a known type as is needed to disclose features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan f view. Fig. 8 shows a modiiication equipped ger 15, operated from a suitable source of power not shown. A toe former 16 is supported on the lower end of the plunger and operated thereby to bulge the interior portion of the vamp into the aperture in the work support while the marginal portion of the vamp is held over the top surface of the work support. These parts are herein shown substantially like the corresponding parts in said British patent.

For holding the marginal portions of the vamp at the tip of the toe and at the sides of the toe of the vamp grippers are herein provided which are shown as mounted in bearings 'formed in the frame 2, but said gripper bearings, and particularly those for the side grippers, may equally well be formed in extensions of the work support 8 as will be obvious, and when grippers are used with the adjustable work support shown in Fig. 3 I prefer so to mount them.

Each gripper comprises a rod 44 on the outer end or' which is threaded an adjustable sleeve 45 betweenv which and a bearing 42 a spring 46 is arranged to allow the gripper to have bodily movement toward the former to give up stock to the toe former as the latter bulges the vamp into the aperture of the work support. rThe inner end 50 of rod 44 is Jformed as a jaw 52 upon which a `marginal portion of the vamp may be outspread, and to the rod is pivoted a jaw 54 the tail of which is connected by a rod 55 to a swinging arm pivoted at 62 to the Jframe. Upon this pivot is also mounted a rocker 64 between which and ya lug 68 on arm 60 is a spring pressed plunger 66. i The rocker carries a roll 63 that is in the path of a cam 65 that is arranged to be moved with the plunger 15 and is so located that through the described connections it will close jaw 54 upon the vamp before the toe former engages the vamp. The spring plunger 66 can yield for thick stock but the jaws are formed to hold the vamp so securely that it cannot slip under the strain produced by the action of the former, the spring 46 being relied upon for such relief as is necessary to give up stock as the former bulges the vamp into the aperture of the work support 8. Each gripper is alike and all are operated simultaneously.

A clamping memberv 34 is preferred to clamp the vamp upon the work support at or adjacent to the tip seam location, this clamping member being shown as carried in guides attached to plunger 15 through which and a spring similar to spring 46 the clamp is yieldingly depressed to engage and hold the work. Provision is also made by a threaded sleeve like the sleeve 45 to adjust the tension of the clamp spring. By regulating the tensions of these several springs the readiness with which stock will be given up to the toe 'former can be controlled according to the requirements oi' strong and weak stock, and also the points from which it will tirst or most readily be given up to the toe former can be determined, whereby the shape to be produced can be controlled. 1t will be noted that the grippers move bodily to give up stock and that differences in the thickness of the stock seized by them are immaterial in the readiness with which they give up stock. This is important. The clamp 34 may hold the stock rigidly or without slip along the tip line so that the tip seam shall not be distorted, but the even bearing of the long clamp 34 across the vamp is calculated to cause any slip which does occur to take place evenly so that tip seam distortion is thereby avoided. The combination of the tip seam clamp 34 and the toe and side grippers is believed to be of practical importance for the reasons suggested.

The work support 8 may advantageously be pivotally mounted in front of the vamp spread out over it as on the transverse pivot 70 in Fig. 3 and be adjustable angularly up and down about said pivot, as by the screw 72, to cause the toe former, inr its operation, to produce toe shapes of more or less prominence by reason of a change in the direction from which the stock is drawn `by the toe former as it descends into the aperture of the work support. 1t will be appreciated that by the adjustment provided the plane in which the vamp is held outspread is changed angularly relatively to the direction or path or movement of the toe former, the screw 7 2 predetermining the angle and causing the vamp to be presented in planes of different degrees of Obliquity to the path of the toe former. With the angularly adjustable work support the grippers and the clamp 34 maybe used as above explained by mounting Athe side grippers upon the work support.

1n Fig. 3 is shown a clamping member 22 that extends entirely around the toe former 16 and coperates with the work support to hold the upper as does the clamp 84 in Figs. 1 and 2. rlhe member 22 is actuated from the toe former plunger 15 through a spring 20 that is located between a shoulder on the plunger and a washer 74 that has a rounded lower face 7 5 engaging a concave plate that advantageously be made to is fastened on the top of the clamping member Q2. This formation of parts 18 and 74 allovvs said member to adjust itseli:l angularly With relation to the path of the toe former and into parallelism With the adjusted Work support.

Each gripper is prevented from retracting, during the rise of the toe former, and pulling back the stock which it has given up to said former, until after it has opened. This is done by a ratchet 53, F ig. l, that is engaged by a pavvl 5l which is only lifted by rod 55 after the jaw 54e has released the upper. To this end a spring holds the paivl on the ratchet and the paivl carries a stud, shown in dotted lines, which is engaged by the gripper javv 54 to depress the tail of the paivl and lift the pavvl from the ratchet after the j aivs have been opened.

The manner of using this machine is fully apparent from the foregoing description.

Having explained the nature of the invention l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States l. ln a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a Work support having an aperture to be overlaid by the toe of the vamp, grippers arranged to seize the marginal edge of the vamp and hold it over said Work support, a toe former, and means to operate the toe former to bulge the interior portion of the vamp into the aperture in the Work support, said grippers being yieldingly mounted for bodily movement toward the former in response to the pull produced by the former to give up material to the former as the former is moved to bulge the vamp into the aperture in the Work support.

ln a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a Work support having an aperture to be overlaid by the toe of the vamp, gripper-s arranged to seize the marginal edge of the vamp and hold it over said ivorl: support, a toe former, means to operate the toe former to bulge the interior portion of the vamp into the aperture in the Work support, mountings in which said grippers are guided for bodily movement to give up stock to the action of the toe former, `yielding means against the resistance of `vhieh said movement takes place, and means to adjust said yielding means for different grippers separately.

3. ln a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a Work support having an aperture to be overlaid by the toe of the vamp, gripper guides located on three sides of said Work support, grippers arranged in said guides to seize a vamp at the tip and opposite sides of the toe and hold it over the top face of the apertured Work support, springs against which the grippers can yield inwardly toward the Work support, means for separately adjusting those springs to vary relatively the time at which the toe and the side grippers will begin to yield, a toe former, means for operating it to bulge into the apertured Work support the interior portion ot' the vamp toe, and means to close all the grippers simultaneously.

ln a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a work support having an aperture to be overlaid by the toe ot' the vamp, gripper guides located on three sides of said Work support, grippers arranged in said guides to seize a vamp at the tip and oppo-` site'sides of the toe and hold it over the top face of the apertured Work support, a clamp coperating with the Work support to hold the vamp on a line adjacent to `the tip seam, means for operating the clamp and the grippers to seize the vamp, a toe former, and means to operate the toe former.

5. ln a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a Work support having an aperture to be overlaid by the toe of the vamp, gripper guides located on three sides of said work support, grippers arranged in said guides to seize a vamp at the tip and opposite sides of the toe and hold it over the top face of the apertured Work support, a clamp cooperating with the work support to hold the vamp on a line adjacent to the tip seam, means for operating the clamp and the grippers to seize the vamp, a toe former, and separately adjustable means permitting the vamp holding means to give up stock to the action of the toe former at relative times or extents determined by such adjustment. f

6. In a machine of the class described the combination with a toe former and means for operating it, of toe end and toe side grippers and a tip seam clamp to hold the toe portion of the vamp for the action of the toe former.

7. In a machine of the class described the combination with a toe former and means for operating it, of a gripper support, a gripper mounted therein to hold the vamp for the action of the former and compris ing a jaw over which the stock is outspread and a pivoted jaw, and a connection from the toe former operating means to the pivoted jaw for closing said j aw upon the vamp prior to the operation of the former upon the vamp and holding it closed during such operation. i

S. In a machine of the class described the combination With a toe former and means for operating it, Vot' a gripper support, a gripper mounted therein to hold the vamp for the action of the former and comprising a jaw over which the stock is outspread and a pivoted javv, a cam face moving with the toe former operating means, arocker moved thereby, and a yielding connection therefrom to the pivoted jaw to close the j aw.

9. In a machine of the class described the combination with a toe former and means for operating it, of an apertured work support into which the former bulges the interior portion of the toe portion of the vamp to shape it, and means for relatively adjusting the plane of the work support and the path of movement of the toe former.

10. In a machine of the classdescribed the combination with a toe former and means for operating it, of an apertured work support over the top face of which the marginal portion of the vamp is outspread and supported while the toe former bulges the interior portion of the toe of the vamp into the aperture, and means for fixing the work support in diii'erent angular relations to the direction of movement of the toe former.

11. In a machine of the class vdescribed the combination with a toe former and means for guiding and operating it, of an apertured work support pivotally supported at a point which is near the tip of the toe of the vamp when the vamp is outspread thereon, and means for adjusting said work support about said pivotal support to cause it to present the vampv in planes of different degrees of Obliquity to the path of the toe former.

l2. In a machine oi' the class described the combination with a toe former and means for guiding and operating it, of an apertured work support, means for holding the 3 marginal edge of a vamp over said work support arranged to give up stock to the action of the toe former, and means for variably determining the angular relation of the plane in which the vamp is held to the path of the toe former.

13. In a machine of the class described the combination with a toe former and means for guiding and operating it, of an apertured work support, and means adapted for adjustment to cause the toe shaping movement of the former to take place at variable inclinations toward the tip of the toe.

14:. In a machine of the class described the combination with a toe former and means for guiding and operating it, of an apertured work support, means for holding the marginal edge of a vamp over said Work support arranged to give up stock to the action of the toe former, and means arranged for preliminary adjustment for causing the toe former tovmove into the upper at a predetermined inclination toward or away from Copies 'of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the former,

the toe whereby the direction from which stock is drawn by the toe former to form the toe shape is variable.

15. In a machine of the class described the combination with a toe former and means for guiding and operatingy it, of an apertured work support, and means for adjusting the work support to vary the direction Jfrom rwhich the stock is drawn by the toe former to produce the toe shape.

16. In a machine of the class described the combination withv a toe former and means for guiding and operating it, of an apertured work support, means for holding the marginal edge of a vamp over said work support arranged to give up stock to the action oir' the toe former, and means for effecting adjustment of the toe former and the -work support and holding means relatively to cause the toe former to produce toe shapes of more or less prominence substantially as described. Y

17. In a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe Vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a work support having an aperture to be vamp, a gripper arranged to seize a marginal portion of the vamp and hold it over said work support, a toe former, means to operate the former to bulge the interior portion oi the vamp into the aperture in the work support,.said gripper being mounted for bodily movement toward the former to give up material to the former responsive to the strain upon it as the former is moved to bulge the vamp into the aperture in the work support, and locking means for securing the gripper in the position to which it is moved in giving up material to the former.

1S. In a machine for shaping the toes of boot and shoe Vamps preparatory to lasting the said toes, a toe former, means for operating it, a gripper adapted to hold the vamp for the action of the yield bodily toward the former in response to the pull thereon to give up stock to the means for closing and opening the gripper, and means for delaying return bodily movement of the gripper until it has been opened.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

f ARTHUR BATES.

1Witnesses:

FREDERICK IViLLIAM WORTH, FRED Rions.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

overlaid by the toe oi' the former and mounted to 

